Metal hoop



Jan. 26, 1932. A. M. WALSTROM MTAL H00? Filed Dec. 19 1929 m T N E V N Patented Jan. 25, 1932 UND S'TES PATENT OFFICE Application fi16d December 19, 1929. Serial No. 415,237.

My invention relates to metal hoops as used on wooden butter tubs and similar coopered containers.

The common type of hoop 110W in general use is a circular 100p of fiat metai band which has an outwardly rolled lower edge that forms a bead around the outside of its lower edge, and this bead is provided to form a driving shoulder for the tools which are used in forcing the hoop into place on the tub.

As it is difiicuit to flare the thin fiat bands of the above described common hoops so that they will fit the tapered surface of the tub, they are usually not flared enoughand, con- 5 sequentlv the thin upper edge of the hoop is therefor abnormaiiy stressed when the hoop is forced into place on the tapered tub, while its 10Wer edge which is reinforced by the bead, does not touch the tub and is therefore mot stressed in the least. The thin upper edge of these hoops is often ruptured by this uncqual stressing of the edgos of the hoop, and as these hoops are practically non-elastic, they cannot yield sfliiently to prevent rupture when the tubs are swelled to abnormal size by absorbing an excessive amount of moisture.

It is, theref0re., an object of my invention to provide a hoop which Will adapt itself t0 the taper of the tub so that both edges of the hoop will be equaiiy tensioned so as to distribute the stress throughout the entire width of said hoop.

It is also an object of my invention to shape the cross-section of the hoop so that it-wiil vield under excessive stress without rupturing.

It is a further object of my invention'to provide barbed means on the inside, front edge of my hoop for the purpose of preventing accidental displacement of the hoop while in use.

It is'a sti]l urtber object of my invention to provide a more attractive 1100p which will present a smooth, weii rounded. and substantial appearanc'e. and in which the over lapping ends Will form a: smooth joint Without exposed edges or rivet heads.

My invention consists of roiling the lower edge of the hoop inwardiy into a tnbular bead which, in efect, serves to fiare the hoop by reducingthe diameter of the lower edge of saidhoop.

My invention also consists of providing an inwardly folded upper edge Which serves to reinf0rce said edge and also serves t0 conceal the raw upper edge of the 1100p.

My invention consists, further, of providing barbed means extending inwardly near the upper edge of the hoop and which serve m to prevent backward movement of the hoop on the tub.

My invention inciudes the structure and modification shown and described in the drawings and following specification, and Which is specificaliy pointed out in the annexed claims.

On the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a butter tub having my invention applied thereco.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of said tub, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inside view of a portion of my improved hoop, and

Fig. 4 is a top edge view of the portion shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view of my improved hoop, and

Figs. 6 and 7 show a slightly modified form of hoop.

In the several vievvs, numeral 8' indicates a wooden butter tub which is made up of a number of tapered staves that are compressed into a tight, upwardiy flared container by a set of three h0ops of different size.

This tapercd tub acts as a wedge to exert a considerable stress in the hoops as they are forced into place thereon, and most of this stress will be produced in one edge of the hoop unless said hoop is previously fiared to fit the tub. To overcome this tendency to ab normall stress one edge Of the hoop, I have devised a self-adapting hoop which has inwardiy turned edges adapted to yieldingly Conform to the taper of the tub.

As shown in Fig. 5 this hoop has an outwardly buiged middle portion 9. and an inwardly roHed 10Wer edge which forme a tubular bead 10 around the entire lower edge of the hoop. A portion of the uper edge of the hoop is fo1ded inwardiy to provide a narrow, dowmvardly converging flange 11 which Sil terminates in a sharp 1ower edge 12.

This lower edge 12, is preferab1y Wrinkled during the forming operation so as to provide inward1y extending points 18 wbich are adapted to bite into the surface of the tub and prevent accidental rearward movement of the hoop, and these wrink1es a1so tend to make the edge 12 s1ight1y elastic so as to yie1d more readi1y while the hoop is being forced into position on the tub. 7

In the production of these hoops, a suitable length of fiat metal band is first formed into a circu1ar 100p with its ends over-lapping and joined by spot-welds 14, and this circular baud is then placed in a machine where suitab1e forming rolls shape the hoop to the form shown. This method serves to produce a smooth, telescoped joint, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and crimped spots 15 may also be provided to help secure the over1apping ends.

Figs. 6 and 7 show 110W the upper edge 16 may be turned outwardly to provide a round ed contact surface 17 for engagement with the face of the tub, and a series of barbs 18 may be pressed inward1y in the surface 17 so as to bite into the tub in a manner similar to that of the points 13.

In operation:

Whi1e the hoop is being forced into place on the tub, the bead 10 and fiange 11 W111 be independentIy and simu1taneousIy expanded to slightly increased diaineters Whi1e resisting the outward Pressure exerted by the tapered tub, and V an approximate1y equa1 stress W111 thus be exkarted on both edges of the hoop so that the fu11 strength of the hoops W111 be emp1oyed in drawing the staves togetber' to provide a tight and rigid container.

As shown in Fig. 2, the outward1y bu1ged portion 9 of the hoop is spaced from the tub for the purpose of making the hoop suf ficiently e1astic so as to yie1d under abnorma1 pressure without rupturing, as an abnorma1 pressure W111 on1 serve to force the bead 10 and fiange 11 outwardly and to fina1iy fiatten them against the inner face of the portion 9. The s-pace between the portion 9 and the face of the tub is originally sufiicient to alloW for an abnorma1 increase in the size of the tub, and this ability to expand to such abnorma1 size is a very important improvement in my hoop over the common fiat band hoop, as the 1attercannot expand beyond the elastic 1imitof the metal itse1f.

In view of the above description it W111 be apparent that I have invented a new and usefu1 improvement in m-eta1 hoops as specif ica11y pointed out in the fo11owing claims.

1 daim:

1. A hoop for a tapered tub, comprising: a circular meta1 baud havin a shaped major portion spaced from the periphery of said tub and provided with an inwardly rolled lovver edge which forms a ho11ow inwardly extending and collapsible bead around the lower edge of said hoop and which serves to reduce the diameter of the lower edge of said hoop vvithout fiaring said major portion thereof, and the rounded inner edge of said bead being adapted to yielding1y conform to a continuous contact about the periphery of said tub while the upper edge of said hoop is being forced into a tensioned position on said tub.

2. A hoop for a tapered tub, comprising: a circu1ar meta1 baud having its major portion spaced from the periphery of said tub and provided with an inwardly ro11ed lower edge which forms an inwardly extending collapsib1e bead around the lower edge of said hoop and which is adapted to yielding1y conform to a continuous contact about the periphery of said tub while the upper edge of said hoop is being forced into a tensioned position thereon, and barbed means provided near the upper edge of said hoop to oppose backward movement of said hoop on said tub.

3. A hoop for a tapered tub, comprising: a circu1ar meta1 band having its major portion spaced from the periphery of said tub, an inwardly ro1led lower edge forming a 001- 1apsib1e bead around the inside of said baud and which serves to reduce the diameter of the lower edge of said hoop, an inwardly fo1ded fiange provided on the upper edge of said band and arranged so that only the lower edge of said fiange normally engageS the periphery of said tub, and said bead and the lower edge of said flange being independently adapted to yie1dingly conform to a tensioned contact about the periphery of said tub when said hoop is forced into position thereon.

4:. A hoop for a tapered tub, comprising: a circular meta1 band having its major portion spaced from the peripher of said tub, an inwardly ro11ed 1ower edge fbrming a collapsible bead around the inside of said baud and which serves to reduce the diameter of the lower edge of said hoop, an inwardly fo1ded fiange provided on the upper edge of said baud, and an inwardly directed lower edge on said fiange Which is shaped to bite into the surface of said tub so as to oppose ba}pkward movement of said hoop on said tu 5. A self-adapting hoop for a tapered tub, comprising: a circular metal baud having a non-fiaring major portion spaced from the periphery of said tub, an inward1y rolled 1o-Wer edge forming a collapsible bead which extends inward1y around the lower edge of said baud and which serves to flare said hoop by reducing the diameter of the lower edge of said hoop without contracting the lower part of said major portion, au inwardly folded flange provided on the upper edge of said baud and said flange converging downwardber, 1929.

AXEL M. WALSTROM. 

